InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Want To Be Your Slave ❯ Won't Let You Go ( Chapter 15 )

A/N:

 

Review Responses:

 

Caelestis - Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked that part…I've read a few slave stories where the slave's master immediately starts coddling him and then everything's alright but somehow, I don't feel that's likely. Habits and conditioning takes time to break. Like going off smoking or drugs, if you try to break away from something that you've been doing for a long time, I think it's a slow process with likely relapses. I'm happy my story really touched you…it means that I succeeded in my objective of drawing the reader in ^_^ Hope you like this next chapter…do tell me what you think.

 

 

KayKay31592 - Thanks for leaving a specific review ^_^ I'm glad you enjoyed…

 

Ethril Dragon - Thanks a lot!! I'm glad you think this fic is original….I've read quite a few Master/Slave fics…some of them were amazing, some not so good. I was hoping this didn't turn out to be one of the crappy ones so I'm glad really relieved that you think it's good. An original story? That's an idea….I really hadn't thought about that….is it legal to publish shota X-Rated fics?

 

SplendentGoddess - I think you're the only reader so far who got that ^_^ Most readers commented that it was stupid of Sesshoumaru to hate Inuyasha for such a reason but I tried to bring out the fact that it wasn't that he didn't trust Inuyasha or that his feelings were shallow but that deeply ingrained prejudices are difficult to overcome and if we take the time to rationally think about them, they appear quite ridiculous. But I'm afraid I was not able to bring that out properly since most people didn't get it. I will have to try and express myself better. Still, I am extremely glad you caught onto that ^_^ My efforts were not in vain if one person got it. Thank you so much for telling me in detail what you thought. I look forward to your honest opinion for this chapter.

 

Also, thank you kjpanny, GLily and TamaRose for your reviews…I hope you are still with me.

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Chapter 15 - Won't Let You Go

And say it for me, say it to me
And I'll leave this life behind me
Say it if it's worth saving me…

-'Saving Me' by Nickelback

When Sesshoumaru burst into Inuyasha's room, the force of his entry unhinged the old rickety doors and sent them crashing to the floor.

Since the seal was broken, the aura, smells and sounds from the room had permeated into the corridor but the scents inside the little room itself were almost stiffing - fear and anxiety mixed with deep regret and rolling misery and sickness and sweat and blood and tears and beneath it all, pain…

"Sesshoumaru-sama," Inuyasha murmured with eyes closed, a peaceful smile appearing on his face. He moved slightly, but his body did not have much strength.

Sesshoumaru was beside him in a trice. Looking at that sweet, innocent face, human or not, it was not possible to hate him.

 

"Inuyasha," he whispered, placing a hand on his forehead. He was running a high fever. He let his gaze travel over the human's body. His hands and feet were bleeding, he was soaking wet and shivering and one wrist seemed to be red and swollen. Sesshoumaru frowned. The boy had barely been left alone for a few hours and he looked like he'd fought a battle.

He needed immediate medical attention but the problem was, if he was moved out of the room, his scent would spread all over the castle. Already, with the seal broken, the human blood and high emotions would attract the attention of every demon in the castle.

Inuyasha sighed and murmured something in his sleep and Sesshoumaru decided he'd worry about that later.

He gently slid his hands under the boy's body and lifted him into his arms. He looked at Inuyasha worriedly. He was light as a feather. Even in his hanyou form, Inuyasha seemed to weigh next to nothing, certainly nothing close to what a demon child weighed, but as a human, he seemed almost weightless. Were all human children this light? He did not know.

Sesshoumaru looked at the unconscious child in his arms and thought that even in his wildest dreams, he would never have imagined he would find out; he had never imagined that one day, he'd have a bloody, ill human in his arms - he had certainly never imagined he would not mind it.

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Raia had decided to wait in Sesshoumaru's room, figuring that in case he needed something, he could find her easily. However, what she had not expected was for Sesshoumaru to have the child cradled in his arms. She could not help staring. A demon prince touching a sick, stinking human? It was unheard of.

But Sesshoumaru didn't seem to notice. "Bring Miroku here and send in some trusted servants with a tub of warm water and some washcloths," he ordered her. She bowed and left swiftly to find him.

Sesshoumaru laid the unconscious child gently onto his pristine bed and proceeded to strip him of his wet clothing. The firerat robes were dry but the wet undershirt had turned his skin alarmingly cold in comparison to the rest of the skin that was hot. Sesshoumaru laid the now naked child onto the mattress and drew the sheets over him. Where his hands and feet touched the sheets, they quickly became stained with blood.

He could hardly believe how afraid he was for the little boy. How quickly did humans die from fever? He had thought he would be disgusted at the sight of his little puppy as a human but when he looked at the pitieous, sick child, it didn't matter that he was till human, didn't matter that he smelt just as all humans smelled- afraid and dull and mortal. Inuyasha was still his, dammit, and if anything happened to the hanyou because of his bullheadedness…

He clenched a fist. No, nothing would happen to him. Inuyasha was not allowed to die without his permission.

"Sesshoumaru-sama," Inuyasha murmured in his almost delirious state, writhing slightly in the bed, the fever and the aching body not allowing him to get comfortable.

"Hold on, little one," he whispered, brushing a few dark bangs away from his sweaty forehead. The skin under his fingers felt thin and fragile, like old papyrus. The claw of one finger gently traced his human eyebrows, the curve of his nose…

There was a knock on his door and a few servant girls knocked and entered with a tub of water and washcloths, as he'd ordered. It would take some time for Raia to bring Miroku here. In the mean time, Inuyasha needed to get cleaned up. He took a washcloth from one of the girls and dipped it into the warm water.

"My Lord," one of the girls stepped forward. "Please, we'll take care of him. Let us-"

"No," Sesshoumaru cut her off. No one, besides him, was going to touch Inuyasha.

"You may leave," Sesshoumaru told them. "But stay nearby in case you are needed."

Not all servants in the castle could be trusted with this secret, although it probably wasn't much of a secret anymore. Human Inuyasha's scent was all over the corridors and in his chambers. The girls bowed and left.

Sesshoumaru gently removed the blankets from over Inuyasha. The human shivered as the cool wind hit his sweaty, feverish body. A small, pained moan escaped him.

Sesshoumaru began to clean his body with the washcloth. There was dust and sweat covering him; it would be more comfortable for him if he were clean. He left his feet and hands for Miroku to take care of properly but gently wiped him all over his body with the wet cloth. Inuyasha moaned and whimpered in discomfort whenever the cloth got cooler than his skin.

Finally, when the demon Lord was done, he laid the boy back onto the bed and once more drew the sheets over him.

"Sesshoumaru," he turned to see Miroku striding in. Raia bowed from outside and shut the door behind her. When Sesshoumaru and Miroku were alone in the room with Inuyasha, Miroku came up to the bed and frowned at the child's condition.

"What happened to him?" he wondered, staring at his bleeding hands and feet.

Sesshoumaru shrugged slightly. "It seems he has been soaking wet for hours. He is running a high fever."

Miroku placed his hand on Inuyasha's forehead. "It's surprising. Humans don't generally get sick so quickly."

Sesshoumaru snorted. "Of course they do. They are nearly always ill."

Miroku glared. "I am the human here, not you. I would know better."

Sesshoumaru looked at him with dawning comprehension. That's right. Miroku, the main healer at the castle, along with the demon slayer girl who sometimes came to 'assist' him, were both humans. He'd gotten used to Miroku scent around; scents of monks and priestesses were, ironically, not as unpleasant as normal humans, though logically, they should be even more unpleasant since holy men were natural enemies of demons. Miroku was one of the few monks not prejudiced against demons and as such, had consented to be a castle healer. His powers were quite impressive.

Sango and her tribe had caused considerable trouble to Inu no Taisho's lands. After receiving several complaints from demons who said the demon slayers were 'interfering' with their work, Inu no Taisho had gone to personally investigate and had then found out they fought only against rogue demons intent on harming humans. Sango's ride was a magnificent ancient demon, Kirara, who, according to legend, could not be tamed unless she took to her master or mistress. Impressed by her skill in battle, Taisho had enlisted her services and asked her to oversee the warriors' training. Sango also knew a great deal about various demon tribes. Her knowledge had come in useful many a times in making strategies against various opposing demon clans and solving their problems.

Sesshoumaru found her tolerable because he had yet to smell any fear on her.

Sesshoumaru blinked. "I'd forgotten," he replied vaguely. The look that Miroku gave him was accusing, though his tone was mild. "How did Inuyasha get so injured in your care?"

Though Sesshoumaru's face was impassive, Miroku could see a trace of regret in his eyes. The demon Lord didn't reply but Miroku could guess what had happened; a hanyou's human night was not a very well known secret although there were rumors. He wanted to yell at him for doing this to the poor kid but there was no time for chatting now.

"We'll talk about it later," Miroku said sharply, realizing it was not easy for the prince to talk about such things. "Right now, Inuyasha's fever needs to come down. I can't see why he should have got sick like this. Inuyasha is quite a resilient person, used to many hardships in life. A little water would hardly cause him to become so sick."

"Sesshoumaru-sama!" Both of them turned towards Inuyasha when thunder clapped loudly outside and he suddenly cried out. Inuyasha's arms were raised, reaching for someone. Sesshoumaru was beside him in an instant, putting the puppy's arms back at his side, and placing a comforting hand on his chest. He was so intent on his puppy that he didn't see the odd look that Miroku gave him.

For a moment, Inuyasha opened fever glazed eyes and looked piteously at him. "I want to stay with you, Sesshoumaru-sama. Please don't send me away!"

The demon Lord stared at him. Had he been fully conscious, Inuyasha would not have even dared express protest against his decision. The fever had caused him to lose his inhibitions, speak things he normally would not say.

Miroku gazed at Inuyasha, beginning to understand. "He's been deeply hurt," he stated softly.

Sesshoumaru looked at him inquiringly.

"He's not sick because of the cold," Miroku told him. "He must have thought you were going to send him away. He's terrified of going away from you."

Sesshoumaru looked at him blankly. "He got a fever because he was upset?"

Humans truly were the most amazing creatures, Sesshoumaru reflected. Emotional upset caused physical illness in them?

"I've never heard of anyone falling ill because of such a reason," said Sesshoumaru.

Miroku nodded. "It is rare, but in certain very sensitive individual, a deep emotional wound can cause actual physical illness. Inuyasha was already weakened by his human night; his immune system weakens drastically when he turns human and that, coupled with the knowledge that you hated him, must have been too much for him to bear."

Sesshoumaru looked away at the stormy sky that was still lit periodically by lightning.

"And he's frightened of thunderstorms," he mused, forgetting for a moment that he had refused to believe the human and hanyou could share the same fears.

Miroku's hands balled into fists. He knew how cruel and callous Sesshoumaru normally was but for some reason, he'd thought he would be different with the puppy. "You-"

"Later," Sesshoumaru interrupted, "Right now, do something about his fever."

Miroku glared at him, but took a deep breath, and nodded. "I need to take care of his hands and feet first," he told Sesshoumaru. "Stand back, please."

Sesshoumaru moved out of the way to give him access to his patient. Miroku sat on the edge of the bed and opened the wooden box he had been carrying with him. He selected an instrument similar to a pair of tweezers. Then he took Inuyasha's hand in his, being careful not to push the shards in any deeper.

But as he tried to keep his hand steady enough to allow him to remove the shards, Inuyasha began to thrash and struggle.

"No!" he moaned, turning his head away, trying to get his hand free. Miroku held it tightly, afraid that he would injure himself more but Inuyasha struggled so hard, Miroku finally let go. Inuyasha moved his body towards where Sesshoumaru was standing.

Miroku stared at him, stunned. He was really so loyal to his master that he would not allow anyone else close enough to even tend to his wounds. That idiot better realize what he'd done to the poor boy. He looked up at Sesshoumaru accusingly.

"Inuyasha will not allow me to come close to him, unless he feels you're around."

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. "But he's human."

"So?" Miroku asked impatiently.

"He has his hanyou memories?"

Miroku looked dumbfounded. "Of course he has his memories! What did you think?"

"I assumed the human and the demon were two different personalities," Sesshoumaru stated.

Miroku shook his head incredulously. Really, the idiotic things people came up with!

"Oh no. They're absolutely the same person. The changes are only physical - weakened strength, stronger emotions and human features. There's also loss of demonic powers but I've never seen Inuyasha display any demonic powers anyway."

Sesshoumaru had a sinking feeling in his chest.

Oh god…

"So…they are truly really the same person?"

Miroku nodded distractedly, trying to figure out how to treat him when the boy kept pushing him away. He did not notice Sesshoumaru's inner turmoil.

Inuyasha moaned and murmured something unintelligible.

He had to be treated fast, before the fever turned dangerous.

Miroku hit upon an idea.

"Alright, I will need you to hold him. Just hold his hand steady so I can extract the shards."

Sesshoumaru got up and sat at the head of the bed. He folded his legs and gently lifted Inuyasha's head and upperbody in his lap, holding him close, cradling him gently against his body. Inuyasha sighed and relaxed visibly, snuggling into the warmth, breathing his scent in. Lightning flashed and thunder clapped again but this time, Inuyasha didn't jump.

"Master…"

Sesshoumaru gently took Inuyasha's one hand in both of his and held it out to Miroku. Miroku stared at him for a moment, shocked at how affectionate the demon Lord was being. He had never in his life seen Sesshoumaru being so gentle with anybody. Perhaps he hadn't been wrong…

When Sesshoumaru cast him an impatient look, he began to extract the shards.

Inuyasha winced and cried out when each one was removed, the pain enhanced because of the fever. All the while, Sesshoumaru held him close, comforting him. Then Miroku did the same with his other hand and then his feet. Once they were clean, he once again opened his wooden box and opened a small container. Within it, was a paste. He gently applied it to the wounded hands and feet. Then he took out a roll of white bandages and wrapped them over the paste. He took an extra bandage and wound it tightly around his wrist.

"He needs to rest this hand for now. A human takes three to six weeks to recover from a wrist injury like this but a hanyou will recover faster. Still, he has to rest till he returns to his hanyou form and then maybe a day or two after."

"How long does the transformation last?" Sesshoumaru asked.

"It's different for each hanyou," Miroku told him. "It may last any where from a couple of days to a few hours. Inuyasha will be able to tell you that once he is better. It's generally fixed."

Miroku sighed, looking pityingly at the boy.

"I can't give him anything for the fever. It was caused because his mind has been under far too much stress along with the changes in his body. It should recede once he calms down and his fear and anxiety subsides. Only you can help him do that."

Then he turned to look at Sesshoumaru. "You're not planning to send him away, are you?"

"No," Sesshoumaru replied, gazing at the poor broken boy. Had his rejection really cause him so much pain?

Miroku got up and gathered his belongings.

"If the fever doesn't break by dawn, call me."

Miroku left. Sesshoumaru returned to his puppy's side.

Removing each and every shard from Inuyasha's wounds had been a long process; Miroku had begun around midnight and now, it was a couple of hours past midnight. Inuyasha's breathing was still shallow and he seemed incoherent.

Sesshoumaru undressed for the night, put on a pair of hakama and got into the bed next to Inuyasha. He pulled Inuyasha close to him, fitting the child against the curve of his body. Inuyasha sighed, a small smiled creeping onto his face, and brought his hands up weakly to clutch Sesshoumaru's arms wound around his waist. With one hand, Sesshoumaru caressed Inuyasha's head and held him close fiercely with the other. Inuyasha's breathing gradually evened out; he didn't writhe and moan anymore. Once his puppy seemed settled, Sesshoumaru allowed himself to drift to sleep.

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After what seemed like only a couple of minutes, but was actually just over an hour, Sesshoumaru woke up with the feeling of something burrowing against his chest. Golden eyes opened to see a dark head snuggling into the chest. Sesshoumaru smiled slightly. Inuyasha didn't feel as hot any longer. His body was covered in a small film of sweat and now that he had a bit more strength, it seemed his puppy was trying to get as close to him as possible.

He held the boy close against his body and Inuyasha seemed to calm down a bit. Sesshoumaru glanced outside; the sky was still dark and the storm was still raging, but it couldn't be long till dawn now. Hiten's magic should be wearing off now; although the thunder demon was strong, it would not be possible to sustain a powerful storm from such a distance. The weather would return to normal in another day at the most.

When Inuyasha squirmed, Sesshoumaru loosened his grip and slowly stroked his back. Inuyasha seemed to awaken finally up. He blinked sleepy eyes and brought tiny fists up to rub his eyes. Sesshoumaru hid a smile; human Inuyasha was just as cute as the hanyou when he woke up. But he was curious to see if everything else about him was also still the same.

Inuyasha finally opened his eyes. He seemed disoriented for a moment. Then, when he realized where he was, his eyes widened in horror. He grabbed a few strands of his hair. His face paled as he saw the dark color and the bandages on his hand.

Sesshoumaru frowned. "Inuyasha?"

Tears gathered in Inuyasha's eyes. He pushed against Sesshoumaru's chest weakly and tried to get out of the bed. Sesshoumaru was not pleased. He stilled the boy forcefully. The tears in Inuyasha's eyes overflowed and ran down his cheeks.

"Master, forgive me," he cried, trying to get away from him, as much as Sesshoumaru's grip on him would allow.

"I did not mean to offend you," a small sob escaped him. His wounded hands and feet were throbbing with pain and; everything hurt much more on his human night. Also, because of the fever, he was much more sensitive to all sensations; the pain in his exhausted body would have been enough to bring tears to his eyes but that didn't matter. What he'd done was awful. A little pain was nothing, in comparison. "I- I should have told you about -about my curse…I'm -I'm even more tainted than you first thought. Please…I'm sorry…I'll-I'll leave and never bother you again…"

Sesshoumaru propped his body up on the elbow of one hand and towered over the frightened puppy. He placed the other hand heavily on Inuyasha's chest and pinned him to the bed.

"You're not going anywhere," he told Inuyasha. Thunder boomed outside and Inuyasha stilled, looking scared. Then Sesshoumaru's voice softened. "I'm sorry," he whispered. "I shouldn't have left my puppy alone."

Inuyasha's eyes widened. He looked close to panicking. His Master…his Master was apologizing to him! It was all his, Inuyasha's, fault and his wonderful Master, who had to go through so much trouble because of him, was apologizing. A Master apologizing to his slave was unheard of.

"N-no, no Master, please!" he cried struggling to get up. "I-it was m-my fault. I didn't…I can't …I know humans are beneath you, Master…I do not deserve to serve you…"

Sesshoumaru leaned in close to him and Inuyasha stopped talking.

"It's not your fault this happens to you, puppy."

Tears fell from Inuyasha's eyes again. "It is! I-I'm…I'm weak and dirty…"

The slavers and humans and everyone else had always told him that. He didn't deserve any kindness because of what he was. Of course it was his fault!

"I'm not worthy of being your slave Master…I have disappointed you…forgive me…"

"You are not dirty," Sesshoumaru was now so close him, Inuyasha could feel his Master's warm breath on his lips. He shivered.

"I told you you're mine; whether human or hanyou, it matters not…so long as you are yourself."

Sesshoumaru touched his nose to the hanyou and Inuyasha gasped at the gentle, intimate gesture.

"It was my belief that as a human, you would be like the rest of them; selfish and craven and bothersome…but you are not."

Inuyasha's eyes widened as Sesshoumaru leaned down and kissed him gently on the lips. Inuyasha's hands came up to push him away but Sesshoumaru pinned them to his side. His Master's tongue flicked against his lips and Inuyasha surrendered and opened his mouth. The demon Lord slowly mapped out his mouth and was thrown by the taste. The human tasted nothing like he had expected. He had thought he would taste all salty and bad but Inuyasha tasted like morning dew and rose - he tasted…fragile.

Inuyasha could not believe it. Sesshoumaru-sama…was kissing him…in his human form. Inuyasha had expected to wake up on the roads somewhere far from the castle, alone. He had never imagined that Sesshoumaru-sama would even consider keeping him after this incident; he was only thankful the Lord had not killed him immediately on finding out his secret. But then again, he no longer had any desire to live without his Master.

As Sesshoumaru deepened the kiss, Inuyasha was noticed that his Master tasted different to him in his human form. He tasted like snow and electricity.

Inuyasha was panting for breath when the demon Lord pulled back.

"Do you forgive me, puppy?" he asked seductively.

Inuyasha shook his head vigorously. Didn't his Lord understand that this was all his, Inuyasha's, fault? "Please don't say that, Master. I-I do not deserve this kindness…please, I know I have no right to, but if…if you will keep this slave, I will make sure to stay out of your sight on New Moon nights…"

"New Moon nights? So you're human every New Moon night? And you become hanyou the next day?"

Inuyasha nodded miserably. "Please, my Lord, anything…I will do anything to try and make up for all this trouble I have caused you…"

Sesshoumaru was finally convinced this was, indeed, his little puppy. Only Inuyasha was achingly innocent and yet heartbreakingly grown up at the same time.

"Do not feel bad, little one. It was not your fault; you do not have to do anything. You are still my puppy. "

Inuyasha looked up hesitantly, hopefully. "B-But…my human night?"

"I believe that secret is already out," Sesshoumaru told him wryly. "The human blood from your wounds is ripe in the room where I asked Raia to seal you."

He gestured at the sheets and Inuyasha gasped on seeing his blood staining them. The priceless sheets, they were now dirty with his blood!

"I brought you here in an almost delirious state; the scent of human blood, tears and sickness lingers in these rooms, in my bed, on me. All moderately powerful demons would be by now aware that there was a human in the castle, not to mention the Lord and Lady and Kouga."

Inuyasha looked away despairingly. One night…he could not take care of himself for one night…Sesshoumaru-sama would now have to find some way to explain it away since he refused to let him go and he couldn't very well tell the Lord and Lady of the West that he had a human pet. The servants and subjects would whisper and laugh. His authority as the heir of the West would be undermined.

"S-so, what do you command, Master?" Inuyasha asked in a small voice. "Shall I leave the castle every month, before my human night is upon me? I could go far away…the scent would not reach the castle but what about my scent i-in your chambers and-"

He stuttered to a stop when there was a particularly bright flash of lightning, visible from the window behind the demon Lord. The night was too dark for a human to be able to see properly but in the momentary light, Inuyasha could see his Master's golden eyes glowing eerily, angrily.

"Leave the castle?" he demanded quietly. "Humans and demons alike despise you, puppy. You will not survive your human night outside the castle; my enemies will torture and kill you."

Inuyasha whimpered.

"Of course, anyone who attempts to harm you would not survive either-"

-a hint of a fanged smile-

"- but by then, it would be too late…You are not even safe in the castle once the servants and other youkai find out about you."

The human boy's eyes widened. "F-find out?"

Sesshoumaru rolled his eyes. "I believe I will have quite a bit of explaining to do, come morning."

Inuyasha stared at him. "You-you will tell them-?"

"Indeed," Sesshoumaru replied. "Therefore, henceforth, you will not leave my chambers on your human night…under any circumstances. I will not have you out of my sight."

"B-but- you will have to tolerate a human in your chamber, sire…please, I don't want to inconvenience you…you have done far too much for me already.…"

Sesshoumaru frowned at the look on his face.

"Too much? On the contrary, I have a lot to make up for, puppy. I should not have left you alone on your human night, especially with that bastard Hiten's thunderstorm. But it will not happen again."

Inuyasha looked away sadly, guilt eating up at him from inside. The demon Lord did not know how wretched he really was. Oh god, how was he ever going to be worthy of even the slightest bit of kindness from him? He didn't deserve it…he didn't deserve any of it…

"But I don't-"

"Enough, little one," Sesshoumaru ordered, looking down at him and Inuyasha immediately fell silent at his deep, commanding voice. "I told you I will not allow you to go away from me. You're still my pet. Slaves cannot disobey their Masters."

This last was said in a teasing manner but Inuyasha took it seriously. His face fell.

"Forgive me, Master. I will serve you as long as you allow me to."

Sesshoumaru gently turned Inuyasha's face towards him. "Are you feeling better?"

Inuyasha nodded, but Sesshoumaru could feel his misery. "I am sorry for ruining your sheets, Master."

"Puppy, your well-being is more important than sheets," Sesshoumaru reminded him. Inuyasha just looked at him incredulously but when Sesshoumaru met his eyes, the child hastily looked down.

After determining that the fever had broken and Inuyasha was not in any physical pain, Sesshoumaru lay back down on the bed beside him. He frowned when it looked like Inuyasha was about to get up, but then thunder crashed outside and Inuyasha trembled. The storm was weakening in strength; the thunder and lightning were less frequent now, but the noise of thunder still frightened Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru pulled him towards himself and cuddled him.

"You had a high fever throughout the night puppy. You need to rest."

Inuyasha seemed a bit resistant but reluctantly gave in and relaxed.

"Yes, Master."

But he was limp in Sesshoumaru's grasp, he made no move to hug him or get closer. He lay there and tried to curl into himself, pulling his legs against his body but Sesshoumaru didn't allow him to do so. Odd; it was not like his puppy to resist his embrace. Generally, he seemed to find it very comforting.

"You are still frightened of the storm, yes?"

Inuyasha bit his lip. How was he supposed to answer that? Yes he was frightened but how to tell his Lord that he didn't have to take care of him like this? Having a human in his bed was bad enough but to keep him close? Sesshoumaru-sama was just too kind. He could not believe he had allowed himself to think he was worthy of his touch. At the most, he should be sleeping at his Master's feet, not cuddled like this, in an affectionate embrace. But he couldn't lie.

"Y-yes," he bit his lip hesitantly.

Sesshoumaru propped himself up on his side again and drew the sheets around Inuyasha, tucking him in.

"Then rest. I will watch over you."

Inuyasha gasped. "But my Lord! You should be resting, Master. It is my duty to see to your needs. I will stay awake and-"

Sesshoumaru felt a twinge in his heart. "You are ill, puppy. You need to rest. Do not think me so weak that one sleepless night would be vexing."

But then he instantly regretted his words as Inuyasha once again looked on the verge of tears.

"Master, forgive me! I - I did not mean to offend. I should not have presumed to- to tell you anything."

Sesshoumaru stared. Inuyasha's tone was entirely submissive, the way he'd been when he'd first come to that castle. In fact, it was even more subdued. Inuyasha had never seemed this subservient, even with the slavers, and in the past few days, Sesshoumaru had succeeded in bringing out the playful, bright side of him. He had thought Inuyasha was breaking away from his slavish nature, but now?

"It is alright," Sesshoumaru reassured him. "Now sleep."

When Inuyasha still looked reluctant, Sesshoumaru understood the frightened child needed to be handled firmly. Inuyasha had gained some self-confidence these past few days but because of his guilt over this incident and because of the fact that he was so sure he, Sesshoumaru, was now disgusted by him, all his insecurities and feelings of worthlessness had returned.

"I said rest, Inuyasha," he commanded in a deep, firm voice, pressing down warningly on his chest. Inuyasha seemed to visibly relax. He nodded and closed his eyes.

Sesshoumaru stared at the dark haired, sleeping child and wondered how much damage his unthinking rejection had caused and what it would take to bring him back to his happy, mischievous self. He would have to think of some way.

He had to admit, the human Inuyasha looked acceptable, though not as adorable as his hanyou self. But looking at the clawless, puppy-ears-less, dark haired child, he could not help wonder - did the puppy also have a demon form? It was logical to assume so; if his human blood overpowering him caused him to turn human once a month, there must also be times when he turned demon. He had heard that a hanyou's demon blood took over when severely aggravated or threatened, but considering how inaccurate his information about Inuyasha's human transformation had been, he would rather ask the puppy about it. He had to admit he was curious to see it; a demon Inuyasha - his own youki burned at the thought of taming it.

Then he sighed. That was later; he had more urgent problems to deal with. Lady Tsukiko would not appreciate the idea of him wanting to keep a hanyou/human pet. And how was he going to explain to his parents why there was human blood on his sheets?

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A/N: Tell me what you think! ^.^

 

 

 

 

 

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